New to DVD and On Demand Releases for August 26 - September 1

23 August 2018

VIEW FROM THE COUCH

By Jay Bobbin Zap2it(Ratings for each film begin with a "star'' rating -- one star meaning "poor,'' four meaning "excellent'' -- followed by the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and then by a family-viewing guide, the key for which appears below.)

Releasing this Week:

"Book Club": Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen make a delightful foursome in this comedy about longtime book-club pals who shake things up -- and not just from the literary standpoint -- when they divert from the expected reading list and add "Fifty Shades of Grey'' and its sequels. The spicy content inspires all four of the women to take bolder steps in their own lives, very particularly where men are concerned ... giving the film notable supporting casting in Andy Garcia, Don Johnson, Craig T. Nelson and Richard Dreyfuss. Alicia Silverstone also appears. *** (PG-13: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)"Tag": If the title game seemed simple when playing it in childhood, it takes on a whole new complexity in this comedy, inspired by a true story of several adult friends who still play it. With one of the fellows (portrayed by Jeremy Renner, who suffered an injury during filming) planning to end his annual involvement because of his upcoming marriage, the latest contest takes on a special urgency, as ruses and double-crossings abound. Jon Hamm, Ed Helms, Jake Johnson (``New Girl'') and Hannibal Buress appear as the other principal participants, with Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, Leslie Bibb and Annabelle Wallis ("The Mummy'') as others who become party to the competition. Brian Dennehy and Lil Rel Howery also are featured. *** (R: AS, N, P) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)"RBG'': A surprise success at the box office, this CNN-co-produced documentary traces the life and times of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Though the film's timeline ends before the current circumstances that will change the makeup of the Court, it extensively covers her judicial career both before and after she was appointed, encompassing several cases she argued before the Court as a lawyer. Her legacy already is secure on the personal front, since her granddaughter -- an interviewee in the film, as are President Bill Clinton and Gloria Steinem -- is a graduate of Harvard Law School. *** (PG: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)"Paterno": Al Pacino gives an excellent performance in playing one of the most successful and celebrated coaches in the history of college athletics in director Barry Levinson's Emmy-nominated, made-for-HBO drama, focusing on Joe Paterno's life and career following the sexual-abuse scandal centered on his defensive coordinator at Penn State, Jerry Sandusky (portrayed by Jim Johnson). Paterno's actions -- or inactions, as the case may be -- in the situation led to criticism and support from different corners, ultimately resulting in his departure from the university. (He died a couple of months afterward.) Riley Keough (as reporter Sara Ganim), Kathy Baker, Greg Grunberg and Annie Parisse also are in the cast. *** (Not rated: AS, P)

Also Releasing this Week:

"Woman Walks Ahead": Jessica Chastain has tackled a number of period pieces during her acting career, and she does so again with this drama that had its first major exposure on DirecTV before being released in theaters. She plays a widowed artist who meets with opposition when she travels to late 19th-century North Dakota to do a portrait of Chief Sitting Bull. Beyond that, she becomes involved in the efforts of a native tribe's members to retain their land. Susanna White ("Our Kind of Traitor'') directed the script by Steven Knight ("Eastern Promises''). Co-stars also include recent Oscar winner Sam Rockwell ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri''), Ciaran Hinds and Michael Nouri. *** (R: P, V) (Also on Blu-ray)"Scandal: The Complete Sixth and Seventh Seasons": The twists and turns continue right up to the end in this set combining the final two rounds of the Shonda Rhimes-produced ABC drama merging politics and tainted love. The saga finds President Grant (Tony Goldwyn) replaced in the Oval Office by someone very close to home, with more than a little help from Olivia (Kerry Washington) ... whose tasks are just beginning when the successor assumes power. The disappearance of Quinn (Katie Lowes) poses a major mystery. Other cast regulars closing out their roles include Bellamy Young, Darby Stanchfield (also a director here, as are Goldwyn and co-star Joe Morton), Scott Foley and Joshua Malina. *** (Not rated: AS, P, V)

Upcoming Releases:

"Adrift" (Sept. 4): Their new romance takes two young people (Shailene Woodley, Sam Claflin) on a quest to return a boat -- which turns into a fight to survive. (PG-13: AS, N, P, V)"Won't You Be My Neighbor?" (Sept. 4): The impact and ongoing legacy of Fred Rogers, star of the public-television classic "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,'' are traced in this documentary. (PG-13: AS, P)"Ocean's 8'' (Sept. 11): The sister (Sandra Bullock) of thief Danny Ocean leads a female crew in trying to steal an actress' (Anne Hathaway) priceless necklace. (PG-13: AS, P)"Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" (Sept. 18): Business interests have their own plans for the dinosaurs now threatened by an active volcano; Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return. (PG-13: P, V)"Billions: Season Three" (Sept. 25): Axe and Chuck (Damian Lewis, Paul Giamatti) both end up in unexpected positions in this season of the Showtime drama series. (Not rated: AS, N, P)"Solo: A Star Wars Story" (Sept. 25): Alden Ehrenreich has the title role as the younger years of rogue pilot Han Solo are depicted by director Ron Howard. (PG-13: V)Oldies But Goodies:

"The First Wives Club" (1996): Several betrayed divorcees (Diane Keaton, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn) decide to even the score with the men who did them wrong. ***"The Horror of Party Beach" (1964): Kitsch is in full force as radioactive creatures emerge from the sea; John Scott and Alice Lyon star. *** (Also on Blu-ray)"Zero Dark Thirty" (2012): A CIA analyst (Jessica Chastain) takes a prominent role in the search for, and capture of, Osama bin Laden. *** (Also on Blu-ray)TOP 10 DVD & Blu-Ray Rentals
(Week ending August 12, 2018, Courtesy of comScore)

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